Namkaran: the Hindu naming ceremony

The naming ceremony, namakarana in Sanskrit and usually namkaran in Hindi, is one of the samskaras, the rites that mark the stages of a Hindu life. For many families it is the first gathering after a baby arrives. There is no single way to hold it. Practice varies by region, community and family, so what follows describes common practice rather than fixed rules.

When it is usually held

The old household manuals place the naming early. The Paraskara Grihya Sutra says that on the tenth day after the birth the father has the mother rise from her rest, feeds Brahmins and gives the child a name. The Manusmriti allows the tenth or twelfth day, or another day chosen for an auspicious lunar day, hour and constellation.

Present-day descriptions stay close to this. ISKCON's educational guide places the ceremony around the eleventh or twelfth day, and Banglapedia describes naming at birth or on the tenth, eleventh or twelfth day. Families often fix the exact date and time with their priest, and some regions keep a day of their own, as the list at the end shows.

What happens

The baby is dressed in new clothes, and family and friends gather at home or at a temple. A priest may perform a puja or a small fire offering (havan), and ISKCON's guide notes that the family astrologer may announce the child's horoscope. The name is then spoken for the first time. In many families a parent whispers it into the baby's ear, and in some it is also written in grains of rice.

The older texts also set rules for the sound of a name. The Paraskara Grihya Sutra asks for a boy's name of two or four syllables and a girl's name with an odd number of syllables ending in a long ā. Banglapedia observes that Manu's rule on what a name should express, such as well-being, strength or wealth, is greatly relaxed these days.

The birth star and the first syllable

Many families link the name to the baby's birth star, the nakshatra in which the Moon stood at the moment of birth. Each nakshatra has four quarters, or padas, and each pada has a traditional starting syllable. A priest or family astrologer works out the nakshatra and pada from the date, time and place of birth and suggests the syllable, and the family looks for a name that begins with it. Our guide to nakshatra and rashi syllables explains the system and why charts differ.

Some families keep the nakshatra name as a ritual name, used in prayers and horoscopes and known mainly to close family, and give the child a separate everyday name. Banglapedia notes that a child may have two names, one public and one known only to the parents. Other families choose the everyday name itself from the syllable.

Regional names

Namkaran is the usual term in Hindi and Bengali.
Barse (बारसें) in Marathi: Molesworth's Marathi–English dictionary defines it as the naming ceremony on the twelfth day after birth. The word comes from bara, twelve.
Barasala in Telugu: C. P. Brown's 19th-century Telugu–English dictionary describes it as a ceremony on the eleventh day after a birth. Families today hold it on different days, such as the 11th or 21st day, often chosen with a priest. The naming is part of it, often with the baby placed in a decorated cradle.
Noolukettu in Kerala: held on the 28th day, when a thread is tied around the baby's waist. The day is usually explained as the first return of the baby's birth star in the Malayalam calendar, and the name is usually given at the same time.

Whatever it is called, the ceremony can be as large or as simple as the family wishes. If you want to follow a particular custom, your family priest or elders are the best guide to how it is done in your community.

Sources

Checked 25 Oct 2026. Families and communities differ; this guide describes common practice.